February

CWA, AT&T: Some 20,000 telecommunications workers at AT&T, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), voted to authorize a strike. The contract expired Saturday at midnight. When the two parties met Sunday, AT&T made what it called its “last, best and final offer.”

(Xinhua) Hollywood's largest actors union and the trade group representing major studios Tuesday resumed labor talks to renew an already expired contract, as possibilities of another industry-wide strike have faded.

Bank and insurance CEOs aren’t the only ones getting rewarded for horrendous behavior in this recession. There’s Wal-Mart, whom Newsweek now has anointed as “Our Corporate Savior.” (Hat tip to dakine01.)

Although the labor movement is cheering passage of the president’s stimulus bill, leaders of unions and organizations allied with them are pointing out that the bill, itself, is far from perfect and that much more will have to be done over a period of time to rescue the tanking economy.

WASHINGTON (PAI)The AFL-CIO favors a mixed public-private universal health care system, with government, business and individuals all sharing in its costs and with strong cost controls, including a government-run insurance alternative to keep the private insurance industry honest, federation President John Sweeney said.

OAKLAND, Calif. — For over two years, Oakland’s port commissioners have been considering ways to drastically lower diesel pollution from the ships, trains and trucks moving goods in and out of the port, which ranks fourth in the nation in container traffic. port. Recognizing that trucks handling over 2 million containers there each year are major polluters, area residents and truck drivers are joining health and environmental activists in demanding the Port Commission quickly flesh out its goal to drastically cut diesel emissions by reorganizing the trucking industry as is being done by the Port of Los Angeles.

CHICAGO — Cindy Green, 41, is a clerk at Citibank. Her husband, who repaired air conditioners and heating units, lost his job 28 weeks ago. “I am scared to death about this,” she said, “because everything we have worked so hard for seems like it can fall apart. What if my husband can’t find another job? My son graduated with a BA last June and so far landed jobs only at Old Navy and Starbuck’s.”

The Senate is about to vote on the nomination of Rep. Hilda Solis for Secretary of Labor. Rep. Solis has been a long-time champion of worker's rights, and she'll bring a strong voice for unions to the Department of Labor.

Blue-Green Alliance urges ‘green jobs’ investment
WASHINGTON — Shawn Grimes, 30, who makes batteries for hybrid autos was one of more than 2000 people who converged on the nation’s capital to demand that Congress fund programs that create more “green jobs” like his.